Sara – Interview 28
Sara has experienced episodes of depression from adolescence. The death of her father and sister from a degenerative disease has profoundly impacted her life, and she currently takes antidepressant medication and sees a psychiatrist.
Sara had a good childhood but the family experienced hardship after her father’s diagnosis with a degenerative neurological disease when Sara was five. Her father’s physical and mental degeneration and the emotional impact of living with this disease profoundly affected Sara, making her feel frustrated, angry and powerless;. Her father passed away when she was 17. On reflection she realises she experienced periods of serious depression; during her adolescence but was unable to talk to anyone about this because this was a time when adolescent mental health was not widely discussed.
Sara studied nursing and moved overseas when she was 23. Her depression eased during this time. However, on return to Australia, her depression ‘returned’. Sara describes struggling to complete simple tasks when she is feeling depressed. She feels worse in the morning and she finds physical and cognitive activity a real struggle. When she experiences depressive episodes she can also be very tearful, overwhelmed and overwrought;.
Sara was diagnosed with depression in the late 1990s. She visited her GP who referred her to a psychiatrist. Sara worked with this psychiatrist for a number of years to explore a range of issues, particularly her father’s illness, her sister’s diagnosis with the same illness and her own genetic predisposition. She says that her psychiatrist showed great patience over a number of years to explore with her all the issues, psychological and physical, that were contributing to her depression.
Her father and sister’s disease has also profoundly affected Sara’s adult life. Her sister passed away from the illness recently. Her concerns about her own genetic predisposition have impacted on all major decisions in her life. Sara did not take antidepressant medication when first diagnosed with depression, but is now taking it, which she says does help to ‘level out’ her mood. In the last two years Sara has been diagnosed with cancer, but says that a physical illness is easier to deal with in many ways compared with depression.
Sara describes recovery from depression in terms of regaining her physical and cognitive function and says adequate sleep and exercise are integral to her recovery. She also relies on the feedback from close friends who can assist her in ‘monitoring’ her well-being, which can be difficult to do alone. She deals with her depression by not taking on too much at work, exercise and adjunctive therapies. Sara has also found it useful to discuss the experience of living with depression as well as being diagnosed with cancer with friends and colleagues.
As a counsellor herself Sara says that continuation of care for people with depression is incredibly important. She says that for herself and others recovery from depression is incredibly difficult; and requires an enormous effort. She says it is important to maintain a sense of hope and to live in the present;. Sara is optimistic about her future and says a key part of her getting better has been to come to a sense of acceptance about living with depression as well as good continuity of care.